Distinguished Alumni Awards

Bexley graduates are making an impact every day in their careers and in their communities all over the country and around the world. Over the years, the alumni of Bexley High School have recognized Distinguished and Honorary Alumni. Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award have made outstanding accomplishments and received honors or recognition for meritorious work in their chosen fields of endeavor or on behalf of their communities. Recipients of the Honorary Alumni Award are non-alumni who exhibited outstanding service on behalf of the Bexley Schools community.

Past honorees are listed below.  We will recognize and celebrate the newest class of outstanding alumni in 2021 with Bexley High School Distinguished Alumni Awards in November.

Announcing the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients and Emerging Leader:

Jonathan E. Kaplan MD ’65

Jay Schottenstein ’72

Inna Simakovsky ’89

Brett Kaufman ’93

Natalia Fedner ’01

Nominations are currently closed and will be available again for selection in Spring 2023.

  • To be nominated, alumni must have distinguished themselves through professional achievement, service, and/or contributions to society. 
  • Nominees must have graduated from BHS at least 20 years ago.  
  • The award will not be presented posthumously.  
  • Previous nominations will be considered.
  • Alumni may not nominate themselves.

In 2021 we initiated the BHS Emerging Leader Award to honor an outstanding young alumnus, who graduated from Bexley High School within the last 20 years and who is on an exciting path to personal and professional achievement. 

All Past Awards

1992

Distinguished Alumni | 1992
  • Willard Searle ’41
  • Laurel Lea Schaefer ’67

1991

Distinguished Alumni | 1991
  • Robert E. Stevenson ’44
  • Edie Mae Hamilton Herrel ’47

1990

Distinguished Alumni | 1990
  • Edward O. Gerhold ’30

1989

Distinguished Alumni | 1989
  • Janice Sims Miley ’34
  • Harry W. Pfanz ’39
  • Russell Leach ’39

1988

Distinguished Alumni | 1988
  • Judah Folkman ’50
  • Frederick H. Davidorf ’57

1987

Distinguished Alumni | 1987
  • Elizabeth McKeever Ross ’36
  • Robert B. Greene, Jr. ’65

1986

Distinguished Alumni | 1986
  • Ruth Phalor Weaver ’28
  • Leslie H. Wexner ’55

1985

Distinguished Alumni | 1985
  • Evelyn Cremeans Elder ’25
  • Eileen Heckart Yankee ’37
  • John Loehnert ’40
  • Benson Wolman ’54

2000

Honorary Alumni | 2000
  • Terry Black
  • John Clark
  • Earl Focht

2000

Distinguished Alumni | 2000
  • Donald P. Cohen ’49
  • Frederick C. Schiefer ’31

1 2 3 4